A/N In Gerritsen's books, Maura isn't from Boston, which I prefer and I've used here. This is irrelevant to my story, but I'm also annoyed that the TV show made up Boston Cambridge University (when greater Boston has 50+ real colleges and universities to choose from) and completely made up the route of the marathon.
This chapter is definitely rated M.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use.
Jane trailed a line of kisses from Maura's shoulder up her neck to her ear before whispering, "Can I take you to the bedroom?"
"No. We're going to have a normal evening. I brought food so let's just eat now and we'll see what happens."
"You're right. Sorry, I've been holding back from you for so long and I got a little ahead of myself."
They relocated to the kitchen and Jane dished out food. They were silent as they started eating. Jane realized that she felt an unbelievable sense of relief, like there was a huge burden lifted from her. She finally realized how much she'd been holding in. I've been so stupid. Why did I think it made more sense keep her from getting to close to me? Every time she saw Maura she had wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her. And now she was going to get to do all things. Or at least she was pretty confident she was going to get to. Oh crap, this is complicated.
Jane looked up from her food and found that Maura was watching her with her head tilted slightly to the side and just the slightest hint of a smirk. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm sorry for trying to push you away, Maur. I won't do it anymore."
"I don't want you to feel like you have to protect me."
"I'm always going to want to protect you."
Maura took a deep breath. "I mean, I don't want you to try to protect me from you. Don't worry about how you're treating me. I'll tell you if there's a problem. I'm not fragile."
"I know you're not. Anything else we should discuss now?" Jane grinned.
"No. I don't want to over think this anymore. I don't want to talk about the details anymore. I just want to be with you and I trust you. That's all that matters from now on, okay?."
Jane finished her food. "I'm going to get this out of the way now then. The first time we met the only coherent thought I could manage was that you were the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. It was actually intimidating to be around you. But then I discovered you were also smart, and funny, and so genuinely kind. When you started asking me to do things with you I couldn't believe how lucky I was. I'm just sorry it took us so long to get here."
"We'll just have to make up for lost time. But now I'm going home. I've thought about being, um, intimate with you probably hundreds of times. But now that we're almost there, I don't want to feel like we've rushed into it." Maura smiled brightly, "I also think that you're going to have to earn it." Maura got up, gave Jane a kiss on the corner of her mouth, and left.
Shit, I'm in trouble, was Jane's only thought.
Jane and Frost caught a case on Monday that had them going non-stop until Thursday night. The first time Jane was really able to talk to Maura about anything but the case was Friday afternoon when she went to see Maura in her office office. "I really want to see you tonight, but I have to catch up on sleep, and tomorrow morning I have to see my parents, so are you free tomorrow afternoon and evening?"
"Jane, I'm always free to see you now so stop asking like that. If I had other plans I'd cancel them to spend time with you."
"That doesn't really ease any of my anxiety but that's great. Will you meet me in the public gardens at the George Washington statue at 4? And dress comfortably and I'd say no heels, but at least wear heels you're comfortable walking around in. Uh, yeah. Okay?"
"Okay, I can't wait."
"Me neither." Jane gave Maura quick kiss on the cheek and left.
Maura was already waiting when Jane got to their designated meeting spot. "Did you know that the idea that the number of feet a horse has raised in the air in statues of war heroes indicates whether the rider was injured or killed is just a myth?"
Jane gave Maura a quick kiss on the lips. "I know that you are adorable and you look amazing right now."
"Are you going to tell me what we're doing?"
"How much time did you spend studying Boston history before you moved here?"
"How did you know?"
"I've known you for more than five minutes."
"I might have read a few books."
"Well, consider this your test."
"But I didn't study."
Jane couldn't help laughing. "Don't worry, I'll grade on a scale. I thought we could take a little walking tour and then have dinner."
Jane led Maura through parts of the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the North End. Maura did know a lot of the history, but Jane knew all kinds of details about buildings and people and events.
By the time they sat down for dinner, Maura was really impressed, "I thought I couldn't be surprised by you anymore."
"That's uh...huh. I should probably take offense at that, but I'm going to take it as a challenge instead. I don't want to ever stop surprising you."
"Oh, Jane. That came out wrong. I meant that I thought already knew you so well, but now I find out something else you're amazing at."
"Oh right, that's what you meant to say."
"You're pretty good at planning a good date too."
"That is actually surprising since this is pretty much a first. I've barely been on a date since high school, let alone planned one." Jane saw Maura's confusion. "I mean I've been out with people on what some probably considered dates, but I wouldn't call them dates. I didn't care about them, or even getting to know them, it was just a means to an end."
"I'm just going to ignore that last part for now. I've been on plenty of dates and I know this was a good one."
"I hope it was good enough because I used up all my skills today."
After dinner, Jane walked Maura back to her house. Maura unlocked her front door but didn't open it and Jane took the opportunity to press up against Maura for a long, slow kiss. When they finally pulled apart Maura asked, "Do you want to come in?"
"Yes, but I want to do this right. I want to make sure I earn it." Also, I'm nervous and scared out of my mind.
"You've already earned it. I want to be with you tonight. Please come inside?"
"Of course I will."
As the moved inside Maura asked, "Oh, do you have to take care of Jo tonight?"
"I left her with my parents. Not because I was expecting anything, but I wasn't sure how late we'd be out.
"Did you tell them what you were going to be doing?"
"Yes. They'd actually assumed we'd been together for awhile now, which was a little odd to hear, but good I guess."
Jane hadn't moved from her position just inside the door, and she was rubbing her palms. Jane knew that Maura knew she rubbed her hands when she was nervous or scared, but Jane was doing it without even realizing. Maura noticed of course. "Do you want something to drink, Jane?"
"No thanks, I'm fine."
"I'm going to go freshen up. Please come out of the doorway and make yourself comfortable, okay?"
Maura disappeared. Jane finally moved to take off her shoes and jacket. Okay, get it together. She wants me to be here with her. I just gotta relax. Jane sat down on the couch in Maura's living room. I know, I'll try meditating. Maura's always telling me it's a great way to relax. When Maura walked in the living room, Jane appeared to be asleep. Jane was sitting with her hands by her sides, her head resting against the back of the couch, and her eyes closed. Maura quietly walked over to the couch and climbed across Jane's lap so Maura was straddling her with her knees on either side of Jane's hips. Maura could feel Jane's body tense.
"Are you asleep?" Maura whispered.
"No, I'm meditating." Jane opened her eyes and said, "Oh, shit," when she saw that Maura had changed into satin tank top and shorts pajamas. Maura just laughed and leaned in to kiss Jane. Maura's kiss was slow and methodical. She wrapped her left hand around the back of Jane's neck and slowly ran her tongue around Jane's tongue. Jane slipped her hands under Maura's shirt and held on to her waist just above her shorts. The kiss continued as they each tried to explore every millimeter of each other's mouths. Maura's right hand drifted down Jane's chest and pulled her shirt up so she could run her fingers over Jane's stomach.
After a few minutes each of them started rocking their hips into each other. Maura pulled back and said, "I'm going to take you to the bedroom." Jane just nodded and followed Maura down the hall. Once in the bedroom Maura started pulling the covers down the bed and Jane once again froze in the doorway. Maura went to her and took her hand. "Jane, don't be nervous. You can't mess this up. Unless you run away. Just let me take care of you." Jane nodded again. "Come sit on the bed." Maura slowly pulled off Jane's sweater and bra. She pushed Jane back on the bed and removed Jane's pants and underwear and then took off all of her own clothes.
Maura climbed over Jane and started kissing her neck. Jane felt herself finally start to relax. The nervousness that came from the anticipation as much as anything else was gone and she trusted Maura more than anyone she'd been with before. Maura's mouth moved to Jane's right breast. Maura licked her nipple until it was hard and then sucked on it and gently held it between her teeth as Jane arched her back off the bed. Maura did the same with Jane's left breast. Maura kissed her way down Jane's stomach and then spread Jane's legs apart so she could settle between them.
Maura's tongue tasted Jane tentatively, but when Jane moaned and arched into the touch, she firmly ran her tongue through Jane's folds and over her clit. Jane moaned again but then grabbed Maura's arm and pulled her up. "I want you up here with me." Jane pulled Maura into a kiss, tasting herself on Maura's tongue, and both women moaned.
Maura placed her hand where her mouth had been, moving through Jane's wetness and then pushing two fingers into Jane. "Oh fuck, Maura." Maura pumped her fingers in and out and Jane rocked her body into Maura's hand. "Maura, I want to touch you too. Please."
Maura repositioned herself so she was propping herself above Jane with her left forearm. Jane's hand moved between them. "Oh, you're so wet Maura and so, so sexy." Jane entered Maura and quickly they were moving in rhythm with each other, kissing when they could manage it.
Maura felt her impending orgasm, faster, she thought, then had it ever happened before, and moved her thumb to rub Jane's clit. "Come Jane, come with me." At those words Jane bucked hard and moaned and she felt Maura shuddering before collapsing on top of her.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, each catching their breath. Maura slipped off of Jane onto her side and Jane turned towards her, wrapping her arm around Maura's waist to keep her close. Soon they both drifted off to sleep.